Hockham Admiral

And it works!!! Brian, lots and lots of thanks for such a simple super tool! I don't know where you guys find 'em but I'm only to happy to get them!!!

I can't agree more as these new electrical management systems can be a nightmare for an amateur. However I'd still take up Mark's kind offer first!! Mark said: difficult to pinpoint anything definite Adam, but try the simple stuff first. Check all the wires that were disconnected when I removed the dud battery have been put back on (I remember there were 4 negative leads on the one terminal on the knackered battery), just incase one had dropped behind the battery box. If you want me to pop over with my voltmeter any time Adam, just let me know and at least we could try to find anything simple.

Any chance any of you WHOMPERS can come down to Bells in the morning to help???

What a shocking story! (So sorry, that wasn't an intentional one ). When we bought Friday Girl a year ago I installed several new 240V sockets and wired in the immersion heater. I then had a friend who is a qualified electrician run a check on it and he passed it all as safe and, if anything, over-engineered!

Do you know something you're not telling us?

Just back from Brundall where I went to prepare Friday Girl for NYE... couldn't get onboard as she was surrounded by ice 2-3ins thick; so I couldn't pull her in to the pontoon... Doesn't look good for Coldham Hall at the moment and it's very foggy there (and forecast to stay so) with the temperature about 2degs...

Ever the optimist, I note that the forecast for next Tuesday (both Norwich and Lowestoft) is +6/+6........... let's hope!!!

With the temps about or just above freezing, perhaps you might reconsider? At Brundall the marina is now OK.

Lovely pics, Mark ....... let's hope the weather at Coldham Hall is a little more hospitable next week!!

Rod, Hi I completely agree with that. Here in Gt Hockham, just 20 miles from Brundall (as the crow flies) we had temps consistantly down to -9 to -10 overnight recently. I'm not too sure that a small greenhouse heater would have sufficed anyway.....

Lori, Hi Yes,it was mentioned on a recent topic.

"Standing Charge"??? Don't they charge enough for your mooring, then?

Brian, Hi Welcome from us, too. Where will you be mooring her?

Welcome, Heather..... you actually talk???

Barry, Hi To give you an idea, our Antares 760, with the 200bhp TAM-D 41P, used 27L/hr at 15kts... i.e. 2.5nmpg. (LWL 23ft and 9.5ft beam weighing 3.5 tonnes). So I'd be somewhat surprised if you get as much as you were told...

David, Hi It takes a bit of reading but is well worth the effort! It also reinforces the complaints I made earlier this year about the sighting of diesel heater exhaust outlets on the new , higher-level, Broads Hire cruisers. The one we were next to, at the New Inn, had it's exhaust directly pointing into our galley windows... When they started it up it literally choked us within a few minutes and we had to abandon the boat for a while. Fortunately this happened in mid morning; I dread to think of the consequences if it had been at night whilst we were asleep.......

If you have a month or so, David!

Beautiful pics, Simon. What camera are you using now?

Tim, Hi I've just gone over to btinternet.com and can now use their free wi-fi in over 2 million hotspots country wide using Fon and Openzone! It's NOT theft! http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/c ... ndorid=Z59

John, Hi Ian wrote "We hired from Sabina" and I believe he meant Sabena Marine aka DRL at Womack Staithe. http://www.sabenamarine.co.uk/ I don't think that they will have a boat big enough for 11. I know that "Acapulco" from Richardsons takes 12 and might even be available! http://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/our-boats/ Good Luck!!!

Come off it, Bill! Anyone with a high speed pursuit-ship like yours can't be short of a bob or two!

Wayne, Hi So long as you warm up the engine first and have a helper and a big jug (or a funnel and a can) of anti-freeze ready, then it's no problem. I use a small watering can I bought just for this. Get your helper to start the engine at idle revs and keep continuously pouring in the mix and then call for shut-down just before you run out! Ideally a second helper can call for shutdown as soon as they see anti-freeze come out of the exhaust. I used this procedure on both propulsion and genny engines several times over last winter without a problem. Good Luck!

You're a braver man than I am, Gunga Din!!! (with apologies to RK)

Wayne, Hi Surely you can get into the water strainer to clean it out? I shut off the cooling water and then pour anti-freeze mix into the opened strainer while Mary-Jane starts and runs the engine for a short time. I find about 5L of 50/50 gets right through to the exhaust.

James, Hi Please only oblidge Jonny on that one!!!